Evaporating apparatus



No. 6l4,926. Patented Nbv. 29, 1898.

- M. E. BRIGHAM.

EVAPORATING- APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 20, 1897-.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Inventor.

Attorney.

Witnesses.

m: uonms Ptrgn; can FHOY'O-LIIHQ. WASHINGTON, o. c.

m 9 m 9! 2 V 0 N d e t n e t a DI M A H m R B E M 6 2 M 6 0 N EVAPOBATIN G APPARATUS. (Application filed Nov. 20, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I I 1 I I I I I n I I (S), %IV'GI1TOII UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN E. BRIGHAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EVAPO RATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,926, dated November 29, 1898.

Application filed November 20,1897. Serial No. 659,346. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN E. BRIGHAM, of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Evaporating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to evaporating apparatus; and it consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, Which form a part thereof.

My invention has special use in evaporating vegetable substances, such as molasses, in which it is desired to reduce the semifluid substance to a comparatively dry powdered mass, heated to such an extent as to slightly carbonize or burn the material in a very uniform manner, whereby it shall be useful as flavoring.

My invention may be employed for other purposes where uniformity of heating is required. I

In carrying out my invention I provide a vessel, of steel or other metal, having a curved bottom, giving it a trough-like appearance, and in which I arrange suitable rotary stirring devices for thoroughly mixing the materials during the evaporating process. In the preferred construction of said stirring devices the materials are fed in both directions in the vessel, so as to insure their thorough incorporation or admixture, as this is essential to a uniform evaporation and fiav0r ing. The upper part of the vessel is closed and communicates with a suitable exhaustfan or suction-creating device to insure a speedy carrying off of the evaporated products, though not producing in the vessel any appreciable vacuum. One end of the vessel is provided with a discharge-nozzle, which is sealed during the evaporating process by a suitable hand-controlled gate. The vessel is arranged over a suitable furnace, which applies heat directly to the outside of the vessel, enabling the products of combustion to completely envelop the sides and bottom thereof. Other features are referred to hereinafter.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improved evaporator with the furnace in section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved furnace wit-h the outer covering removed. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of Fig. l on line m 00, and Fig. 5 isa vertical section on line If t of Fig. 3 through the discharge-valve of the vessel.

The vessel A consists of a U-shaped steel trough attached at its end to heads B G by means of rivets. It is also reinforced on its sides by suitable castings D, preferably U- shaped, to maintain the sheet-iron in proper shape.

E are lateral cast-iron projections or brackets projecting from the sides of the vessel and resting upon the brickwork F, surrounding the said vessel.

G is a furnace of any suitable construction, and H are the heating-fines, which envelop the sides and bottom of the vessel. The fiues H are reversed upon each side of the vessel A and then extend upwardly, as at it, into a transverse flue H, leading to a chimney. The draft is controlled from the furnace-flue to the chimney-flue H by means of valves H which may be controlled from the front of the apparatus. The chimney-flue is built directly upon the rear portion of the lid or covering J.

I are suitable braces extending across the top of the vessel and are bolted in position to act as supports for the covering and also to brace the sides.

J is a stationary covering which rests upon the top of the vessel A and is in turn sustained by the braces I. This stationary covering supports the chimney-flue H and is provided with an air-inlet hole K and an outlet-flue L, leading to a suitable exhauster Z, which may be an exhaust-fan, an inverted Root blower, or other suitable well-known device for creating an exhaust action. M is a pivoted door also acting as a part of the top covering and is adapted to permit ready access to the interior for examining the contents. The materials may be delivered into the interior of the vessel A through the door M or by a pipe is, extending through the aperture K.

N is a longitudinal shaft extending through the vessel A and concentric with the center of curvature of the bottom. It is journaled at each end in boxes 0 O, fastened to or formed on the outside of the heads B C of the vessel. This shaft carries upon it the reversed scrapers or heaters N N, adapted to operate upon the material in opposite directions, so that the molasses is beaten backward and forward and thoroughly incorporated and mixed throughout its entire mass, and when the same is dried or reduced to the condition of a powder it is moved over the surface of the vessel A, so as to become burned uniformly throughout its mass to insure every portion thereof becoming so treated as to have the same flavor.

More specifically, the mixing devices consist of four arms a, keyed to the shaft N and having curved blades N N arranged at different distances from the shaft N and set at opposite angles. The blades N are made to approximately include a quarter of the arc of the circle through which they move, so that four of said blades form a complete circle or spiral. The outer blades J. which are considerably deeper than the inner blades N conform to the curvature of the bottom of the vessel A, and the adjacent ends of the blades overlap, so that that portion of the material unacted upon by one blade is positively acted upon by the next blade to the rear. Thesebladesarealsosiightlyseparated at their overlapping ends to form a passage M The inner blades N are of shorter length and do not overlap. They are set at the reverse angle to the blades N and need not be arranged in the same spiral. The operation of these mixin g devices is such that the blades N feed or move the materials longitudinally in the vessel and at the same time lift it above the level of the material and allow it to fall, so as to allow it to be thoroughly exposed and permit of quick evaporation and drying. Furthermore, by not giving too much of a pitch to the blades there is less resistance to their operation and it takes less power to run the machine. The space a between the overlapping blades permits the escape of any hard substance to the rear of said blades which might otherwise tend to wedge between the edges of the blades and the bottom of the vessel. In this manner the blades are selfclearing.

The shaft N is provided with a worm-wheel P, loosely journaled upon it and adapted to be connected or disconnected from it by means of a clutch Q. The clutch Q may be operated by means of a lever Q and rod Q leading to the front of the apparatus. The wor1n-whee1 is driven by a worm P, secured upon a driving-shaft p. In this manner any number of these vessels may be arranged .side by side and all driven from the same shaft 19 and also be throwninto and out of operation, as desired, by means of the clutches Q. The forward head B is provided at its lower t with a wide opening I), having a face- R is a removable valve or gate adapted to rest against the face-plate B of the dischargeaperture Z) to sealit and is operated by means of a screw 0' and hand-wheel It. The screw is carried in a frame S, firmly secured to the head B. The valve R is suitably guided at R on the guide-rods s, forming part of the frame S.

T is a large lip extending obliquely downward and away from the vessel A to cause the materials to be discharged and guided forward, so as to be properly delivered into a receptacle arranged to receive them. By curving the opening I) to the curvature of the bottom part of the vessel A and making it very wide the action of the mixing-screws very readily discharges the contents of the vessel through said opening. The arrangement and operation are such that the outer screw or beater N acts to feed the materials along the bottom of the vessel toward the dischargeopening, while the central screw or beater N operates upon the materials in the re verse direction. In this manner the materials are thoroughly incorporated when the valve or gate R is closed, but operate to quickly discharge the contents when said gate or valve is open.

IV is a thermometer arranged on the face of the vessel, so as to indicate the temperature under which the materials are being treated.

is a steam-pipe for cleansing, the.

The ends of the vessel A rest upon two transverse heavy bars W WV, built into the brickwork, so as to receive the weight of the vessel A at each end. These heavy beams assist the side brackets E E in supporting the vessel in its foundations.

In place of the furnace shown it is self-evident that any other suitable characterof furnace may be employed either to burn solid material, gas, or liquid fuel, as is well known in the arts.

The minor details of construction may be modified without departing from the principle of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination of a vessel to contain the materials to be treated, a furnace to apply heat thereto, a mixing device arranged within the vessel for constantly and thoroughly stirring the contents thereof consisting of a longitudinal shaft and inner and outer mixing-blades independent of the vessel carried by and moving with said shaft at an angle to each other adapted to operate on the materials in the vessel, power devices for rotating the said shaft, and means for throwing the power devices into and out of connection with the shaft.

2. In an evaporating apparatus, the con1bination of a stationary vessel made U-shaped in cross-section and with closed top or lid, with a valved discharge-openingfrom the vessel near the bottom, a longitudinal rotating shaft carrying inner and outer mixing-blades independent of the vessel and moving with the shaft said blades being arranged at opposite angles and adapted to operate upon the materials in the Vessel and in which the outer blades move in close proximity to the curvature of the lower part'of the vessel, power devices for rotating the shaft, means for throwing the power devices into and out of mechanical connection with the shaft, and a furnace to heat the lowerportion of the vessel.

3. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination of a stationary vessel made U-shaped in cross-section and with closed top or lid, with a valved discharge-opening from the vessel near the bottom, a longitudinal rotating shaft carrying inner and outer mixing-blades arranged at an angle to each other and adapted to operate upon the materials within the vessel and in which the outer blades move in close proximity to the curvature of the lower part of the vessel and discharge toward the discharge-opening, power devices for rotating the shaft, means for throwing the power devices into and out of mechanical connection with the shaft, a furnace to heat the lower portion of the vessel, and a mechanical exhausting device communicating with the interior of the vessel for carrying off the vapors and moisture as soon as formed.

at. In an evaporating apparatus, a vessel made of thin metal approximating the letter U and having the ends sealed by heavy flanged metal heads, and further having the body intermediate of the heads reinforced so as to keep its sides and bottom in perfect alinement by means of heavy flanged iron braces on the outside also made U-shaped and riveted to the thin metal, in combination with a rotating mixer within the vessel having blades which in their movement approximate the curvature of the lower portion of the vessel, a discharge-valve opening through one of the heads to permit the escape of the contents from the vessel, and a furnace surrounding the lower portion of the vessel for applying heat thereto.

5. In an evaporating apparatus, a vessel made of thin metal approximating the letter U and having the ends sealed by heavy flanged metal heads, and further having the body intermediate of the heads reinforced so as to keep its sides and bottom in perfect alinement by means of heavy metal braces also made U -shaped and riveted to the vessel on the outside, and also having transverse upper braces extending from side to side through supporting the lid, in combination with a lid formed of two parts one of which is stationary and rests upon the last-mentioned braces and the other of which is hinged or removable to permit access to the interior,

a rotating mixer within the vessel having blades which in their movement approximate the curvature of the lower portion of the vessel, a discharge-valve opening in one of the heads to permit the escape of the contents of the vessel, and a furnace surrounding the lower portion of the vessel for applying heat thereto.

6. In an evaporating vessel, along stationary trough made U-shaped in cross-section and having a wide discharge-aperture curved at its lower edge to a curvature corresponding to that of the bottom of the interior of the Vessel and extending outwardly and downwardly by a large flaring lip, rotating mixing and feeding devices within the vessel, for mixing the materials within the vessel and simultaneously also feeding them toward the -discharge-opening, a furnace to heat the vessel, and a valve located upon the outside of the vessel movable to or from the dischargeopening for the purpose of sealing it or per mitting the escape of the contents of the vessel.

7. In an evaporating apparatus, the combination of a vessel to contain the materials to be treated made substantially U-shaped in cross-section, a furnace to heat the vessel upon the outside, a longitudinal shaft extend ing through the Vessel and arranged concentric with the axis of the curvature of its bottom, a series of arms radiating from said shaft, and a series of blades carried by the arms and set at an angle to the shaft and having their ends overlapping longitudinally with a space between them circumferentially and curved upon their outer edges to approximately the curvature of the bottom of the vessel, power devices for rotating said shaft and blades, and means for connecting or disconnecting the power devices with the shaft.

S. In an evaporating'apparatus, the combination of a vessel to contain the material to be treated made substantially U -shaped in crosssection, a furnace to heat the vessel upon the outside, a longitudinal shaft extending through the vessel and arranged concentric with the axis of the curvature of its bottom, a series of arms radiating from said shaft, a series of blades carried by the arms and set at an angle to the shaft and having their ends overlapping with a space between them and curved upon their outer edges to approximately the curvature of the bottom of the vessel, a second set of blades of shorter length carried by said arms between the outer blades and shaft and set at an opposite angle to the shaft to that occupied by the firstmentioned blades, power devices for rotating said shaft and blades, and means for connecting or disconnecting the power devices with the shaft. 7

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

I MARTIN E. BRIGHAM. Witnesses:

J. W. KENWORTHY, Witt. L. EVANS. 

